1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system, apparatus and method for providing secure distribution of electronic software, media and other content, and more particularly to a system, apparatus and method for processing streaming data using enhanced data handlers or data processing decoders.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronically distributable digital content takes many forms such as software applications, music and video files, documents, licenses, and so on. Each of these forms of content requires specialized processing on a user's desktop when they are executed or viewed.
The typical size of downloadable content is increasing. For example, as software applications become more complex and include more multimedia content, they are increasing in size. As the demand for greater and greater quality increases, the resolution and therefore size of music and video files is also increasing.
The increasing file sizes of electronically distributable digital content can create long delays before requested content is accessible by the user because processing is typically delayed until the download completes. For example, a download must typically be completed before the downloaded content can be used. Further, existing content delivery methods require sending compressed archives that are decompressed only after the download is complete. This is wasteful in terms of space and time.
Thus, a need exists for a system to download content to users more efficiently to allow for more rapid access and use of the downloaded content by the user.
Prior to the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,882,037, no software technology existed that allowed consumers or online purchasers of content, content retailers, and software manufacturers (e.g., publishers) to ubiquitously engage in electronic software distribution (ESD), for example. A major shortcoming of digital content delivery technologies had been the inability to provide both security and scalability. The system described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,882,037 (hereinafter referred to as the retail electronic distribution platform) allows for an unlimited number of manufacturers, retailers, and consumers to interconnect using a common platform and provides service for completely seamless, secure, scalable and electronic distribution of (unlimited) digital goods. The retail electronic distribution platform employs a download assistant instantiated using server technology, and an installation assistant that manages communication with a server farm. The installation assistant is downloaded onto the purchaser's computer and manages processing, verification and authentication of downloaded content requested by the purchaser, whereas the download assistant manages delivery of the requested content to the purchaser's computer.
The installation assistant used with the retail electronic distribution platform can require additional processing and memory space for certain platforms (e.g., operating systems on users' computers) as compared with other platforms, thereby restricting the size of downloaded files that can be processed using those platforms. For example, to implement the installation assistant in certain platforms on users' computers, multiple copies (i.e., multiple footprints) of a downloaded content file may be required.
Existing content delivery systems can also fail to achieve symmetrical encryption and decryption of content files developed in accordance with one platform, but decrypted and rendered in a different platform.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved content delivery system that can provide efficient processing, verification, authentication and decryption of downloaded content regardless of platform or operating system (e.g., various PC-based OSs, Mac and so on) and that can support differing content structures and formats.